Enroll for Services - What We Do

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Enrolling for services is easy and FREE! Simply enroll by completing a Child Support Application. If you have an active case with our department or have already completed an application, please do not send another one unless your case is closed

For quick or simple questions, to verify information or to have an application sent to you by email or mail, please visit our Contact Us page. You can also reach a customer service specialist at 1-800-447-4278 (available Monday – Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm). For TTY, please call 1-800-526-5812. 

• Connect to Resources (Family Resource Connections)
• Locate a Parent
• Establish Parentage
• Estimate Child Support – Income Shares
• Obtain an Order for Child Support
• Serve Income Withholding Order (IWO)
• Monitor and Record Payments
• Collect and Enforce a Child Support Order
• Calculate/Recalculate Payment Amounts (Modify Up or Down)

Children deserve financial, emotional, and family support to grow and thrive. We are committed to helping parents by focusing on more than just money. Whether struggling with financial difficulty, unemployment, or experiencing other personal issues, we want to provide assistance and guidance by connecting parents with essential services. We offer our services to all parents, whether receiving support or paying support. Find out more by visiting our Family Resource Connections page.

We can assist if you do not know where the parent lives or works. Services can still be provided even if the parent lives in another state, country, or tribunal.

To help locate a parent, we use the U.S. Postal Service, National New Hire Reporting Service, Federal Parent Locator Service, Illinois Department of Employment Security, and the Illinois Secretary of State. 

Please note, we cannot provide legal advice such as how to:

• Obtain a divorce
• Obtain or change custody or visitation
• Obtain an order to provide college expenses

Children with actively involved parents are more likely to have higher self-esteem, greater motivation, increased confidence in their abilities, and will generally achieve greater success in life. If parents are unmarried when a child is born, we can assist in establishing paternity through the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) form. Establishing parentage creates a legal relationship that benefits the child. This process doesn’t require court involvement. Additionally, we offer genetic testing at no cost to you.

Guidelines for child support in Illinois considers both parents’ incomes, par­enting time, and the number of children to determine the amount of child support. Use the Illinois Child Support Estimator on our website to calculate the potential child support payment amount.

After parentage has been established, we can help you obtain a child sup­port order. This is a legal document that states when, how often, and how much a parent is to pay for child support. Staff at CSS have expertise to help parents navigate through the child support journey. Our services are free of cost to parents.  For assistance obtaining an order, please complete a Child Support Application. 

Once a child support order is estab­lished, an income withholding order (IWO) is issued to an employer. An IWO allows the employer to withhold funds from the wages of the parent responsible for paying support. These funds are sent to and processed by the State Disbursement Unit (SDU). Payments owed to you may be deposited directly into your bank account (most common), placed on an Illinois Debit Card, or issued to you by a paper check. Please note that having child support payments ordered or paid through the SDU does not automatically enroll you in the Child Support program.

In cases without an IWO, payments can be made by check or money order and sent directly to the SDU. You can find out more about Payment Options here.

Child Support Services monitors and tracks incoming payments as well as maintains a certified record of payment transactions and account balances. We also have an on-line portal that provides details on payments and balances, allowing you to easily track and monitor.  Being enrolled in on-line services also allows for communication of case details via email.  Register by clicking here.  

If your support is not being paid, we have programs to help collect past due child support payments. Program services will include efforts to connect parents with employment opportu­nities, support service programs, and skill training through the FRC pro­gram. Additionally, CSS staff will pur­sue collection and enforcement pro­grams. We can help to get the other parent to pay and have specialized staff available to handle cases when a parent can pay but is unwilling.

If your support is not being paid, we will use the following methods to attempt to collect child support payments:

• Tax offset intercept
• Credit agency reporting
• Passport denial
• License denial or suspension (driver's, hunting, fishing, professional)
• Lien on bank accounts, property, etc.
• Court hearing
• Collection of unemployment benefits

Recognizing circumstances can change, we can assist parents in calculating or recalculating pay­ment amounts, either up or down. If a significant change in circumstance occurs, it is important to take action quickly. Contact a child support ser­vice representative for guidance. A review could determine if child support payments should remain the same, increase or decrease. Visit the Request a Modification link for more information.